1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a balloon device for implanting an aortic or aortodiiliac intraluminal prosthesis for repairing aneurysms, more precisely an arrangement of inflatable balloons which are arranged upon a catheter in order to adapt the means of attachment of a tubular prosthesis to the walls of the aorta.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Intravascular devices, called "stents," which are placed in the organism by means of introducers on balloon catheters, are known.
These stents, used as a means of attachment for intravascular prostheses, are deformed by increasing their diameter when subjected to expansion from inside by inflation of a balloon, until they are imprisoned against the internal side of the arterial wall.
U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 535,745 of Jun. 11, 1990, in the names of Julio C. Palmaz and the present inventors relates to a prosthesis consisting of two attachment means, or stents, connected by means of a flexible coaxial tube., which is implanted along the arterial zone affected by the aneurysm.
With the current balloon devices, the attachment of stents on ends of a prosthesis is a tedious and time-consuming maneuver.
A device designed for attachment of stents also exists, described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,744, issued Apr. 25, 1972 to Robert Ersek, which is not introducible by means of a catheter, and requires additional incisions in the zone to be repaired.
The technique of the introduction of catheters with inflatable balloons is known in valvuloplasty and angioplasty treatments, in which dilation catheters for one or more lumina are used.
If it is desired to implant with the current dilation catheters, the above mentioned prosthesis, consisting of two attachment means or stents, coaxially connected together by means of a flexible tube, it is necessary to use two catheters, one at a time, to consecutively dilate the proximal stent and the distal stent.
This maneuver is difficult and time-consuming, which is not recommendable.